Drier



Dec. 7 1926.

C. L. WAGNER DRIER Filed Sept. 18, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sywembot Dec. 7 1926.

c. L. WAGNER DRIER Filed Sept. 18, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnvv/mto'c M K// @51 A44 (luau W15 M such Patented Dec. 7, 1926. v

UNITED --STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

- CHARLES L. WAGNER, OF ."BOONflON, NEW JERSEY.

DRIER.

Application filed September 18, 1923. Serial No. 663,395.

proven difficult to dry, either because of pos-' sibility of explosion from dust or because of the nature of the substance or liquid. For instance in sewage disposal, wastes or shmes cannot be handled in the usual rotary drier without concentration. Inthe case of lignone or wood extracts, under present methods, because of their high moisture content substances require a considerable amount of heating in order to be dried and such heating increases the danger from explosion. Bagasse which'is at present used for fuel upon sugar plantations contains apfiroximately water and necessitates aditional fuel. this'additional fuel be avoided but the heat valueofthe bagasse would be very nearl doubled if the bagasse could be drie Other substances such as molasses, because of their physical properties are extremely difiicult to dry, since a high temperature is required and charring or burning cannot be avoided. In the case of colloids, such as dyewood extracts, chemicals, drug extracts and so fo'rth, numerous difficulties in drying have been encountered and a cheap method of drying is necessary to enable these products as waste products to be made available for use. i

One of th objects of this invention is to provide an apparatus that will permit of the dryin to any degree of moisture content of co loidal substances, viscous liquids or solids. Another object of this invention is to dry colloidal substances, viscous liquids or solids cheaply by means of waste heat.

' is to dry substances otherwise difiicult to bring to friable condition and to eliminate the use of steam orof heated liquids at high vSt1ll other objects of this invention are to provide a simple, flexible apparatus havin temperature control that may be cheaply op- Not only could the use of.

Still another object of this invention erated and used to'dry different substances and which will deliver the dry product in a usable condition.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinalsection of a side elevation of a machine embodying the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a top view of the machine.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view'of the machine.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the cross rod supporting the screen.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a machine embodying the principles of my .in-

vention.

I have found that when a thin layer of any material containingwonsiderable moisture is suddenly submitted to a high tem perature for a short time that the moistureprod'uces a'cellular or bubbled substance, which holds enough moisture to prevent carbonization or oxidation at that temperature and, then, by the submission of the cellular or bubbled substance to a lower temperature, the thin walls of the cellular or bubbled substance become dried out. In case the material is a solid of crystalline structure and powdered, fusion first takes place and then the bubbling takes place. This physical fact permits of the use of a higher initial temperature than would otherwise be possible and enables materials to be dried that would otherwise char or burn particularly when the treatment occurs in an atmosphere of gases free from oxygen such as breeching or flue gases. i

In carrying out my invention, I propose to provide a travelling screen 1 of non-corrosive metal such as Monel metal enclosed through most of its length in a housing 2. Waste heat from the breeching enters the housing 2 at one side, through pipe 3, and passes the length of the housing 2 under afile 4 and then back over bafi'le 4 and out pipe 5. The travelling screen 1 is supported and operated by two cylindrical drums 6, 6' having sprocket wheel ends. Two sprocket chains 7, 7 paw over the sprocket wheels 8, 8, 9, 9 and to which the travelling screen 1 isbolted. Cylindrical drum 6 is driven by motor, 12 through cones 10 connected by belt 11. Cylindrical drum 6 is enclosed in hopper 13 and supported by shaft and supports 14 having a take up device 15 to permit of a proper tension on the screen. Adjacent one end of the housing 2 is a supply tank 16, having any well known'form of float valve, not shown, to. control level of liquid. Withinsupply tank 16 is a cylindrical roller 17 of felt, bearing against screen l. The friction of the travelling screen 1 rotates the felt roller to coat the screen. An idle roller 18, spring supported, regulates thickness of the coating. Within hopper 13 are idle rollers l9, 19 hearing and rolling upon screenl. Beyond rollers l9, 19' are brushes 20, 20', motor driven through belting and gearing. hains 7, 7'. car lugs 26, to which half round rods 27 are olted underneath the screen and above which flat rods 28 are likewise bolted by the same bolts 29.

, The housing 2, is made in upper and lower sections A and B and bolted together by bolts 30. Doors 31 permit of ready access for cleaning or repairs. I Idle sprocket wheels 33, 34 outside housing 2 take up slack in chains 7, 7 to permit of the chains more readily passing through slots 35, 36 of the housing. I

The operation of the device is as follows: The colloid is led into supply tank 16 through supply pipe 21 maybe controlled by any well known form of float valve. Motors 12,22, 23 and 24;- are started, motor 22 drives a turbine tan which sucks in the hot waste gases from the breeching of' the furnace b roller 1 lFhe coated screen 1 travels in through pipe 3 and delivers it to the lower portion adjacent one end of housing 2. The correct temperature can be maintained by opening or shutting the openin s 37 in the pipe 3 to the required amount tolet in a supply of cold air.

Motor 12 driving through double cones l0 and belting l1 rotates',cylinder 6 which in turn motivates the travelling screen 1. As screen 1 moves it causes felt roller 17 to rotate in the liquid through friction md thereby coating the screen i. The openings oi screen 1, through surface tension retain a thin coatin oi the liquid placed on screen 1 the same direction as the current of heated inert ases and as the initial temperature is hi h t e thin coating dries in the form of a bu bled substance. he the. screen 1, moves towards the other end, the gases become cooler during the period after the screen has passed around cylinder 6 and over halide i, the gases have completely dried out the hubbles. The substance immediately upon emergence from too housing 2 becomes brittle and as the screen 1 passes over cylinder 6 a great deal of the dried substance breaks call screen i and falls into hop er l8. idle rollers 19, 19 crush remain w bubbles and brushes 20, 20" remove the rinder of the sub stance from the screen i initting the dried powdered particles tall intp1 h r l3.

.1 ya, .4. 7.. liver the cried is the stora e inns.

neoaeee as shown in the modified form in Figure 5.

This form is particularly adapted for the drying of solids. In the modified form with in housing 2, 1 provide two sets of travelling screens 1' l, which screens are separated by a baflle wall 4". The lower travel ling screen extends at one end beyond the baflie and beyond the upper screen 1. The upper travelling screen and the lowertravelling screen are parallel but not horizontal. and are slightly tilted so that the intake gases which enter through inlet pipe 3 below the top of the upper travelling screen in conjunction with the horizontal baflle forces the gases up through the solid material and the same action takes place on the under side of the bafiie with respect to the lower travelling screen. The solid material is fed from hopper 10 and falls upon the upper surface of the upper travelling screen and as the screen is motivated the solid travels with the screen until it reaches the lower drum and the screen passes around it where it falls .Ofcourse it is understood that not only can any number of travelling screens be placed one above the other as shown in the modified form to obtain suflicient drying ac tion, but also the apparatus may be multiplied by setting them up in batteries. And the form shown in Figure 1 may be used in connection with the modified form in cases where it is found desirable.

lit will thus be seen that I have shown an apparatus for drying colloids, viscous lisp uids or solids from waste heat in eficient and economical manner and the products of which can be delivered easily and in usable condition.

1 claim:

1. A drier comprising a travelingscreen, controllable means for driving said screen, a housing, said screen operating within said housing, means for covering said screen with a thin layer of material to be dried, means for delivering hog-inert gases upon said screencovered with ma. isl adjacent said covering means and men .ror directing the hot inert gases upon a covering in the direction of travel oi within o 1 1 7 said housing.

,for delivering said gases upon said screen covered with material adjacent said covering means and a-bafiie extending horizontal ly substantially'the length of the housing to. direct the travel of the. gases in the direction of travel of said screen.

3.. A drier comprising a traveling screen, controllable means for driving sald screen, a

housing, said screen operating in said hous-- ing during the drying -of the material, means for covering said screen with a relatively thin layer of materialto be dried,'means for retaining said coatingv on said screen, and means for gradually reducing the temperature of the drying medium to the point of emergence of the dried product.

4. A' drier comprising. a travelling screen, means for motivating said screen, a housing,

September A. D. 1923.,

said screen micralir'ig in said housing, duringthe drying of the material, means for covering said screen with a thin coating of material to be dried, means for heating the material adjacent the covering means toa high temperature and means for controlling the temperature of the heating medium.

5. A drier comprising a traveling carrier screen for the materials to be dried, means for driving said screen, a housing for said screen, said housing comprising upper and lower sections, doors in said cleaning purposes and ahorizontal bafile extending substantiall the length of said housingto control the direction of travel of hot inert gases, said bafile extending to the side wall adjacent the entry of said carrier screen and point of immergence of hot gases from a source of supply.

' Signed at New York in the county of-New" this 15 day of York and State of New York HARLES LVWAGNER.

housing for 

